Season 22/23 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Sutton United
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Attendance: 6,288 (196 from Sutton)
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Date: 25 March 2023
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STAGS AND SUTTON DRAW 0-0 IN TERRIBLE GAME
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town drew 0-0 with Sutton United at the One Call Stadium yesterday. It was one of the worst games of football you will ever see. There were few chances for either side. There were virtually none for either side in a very unsatisfactory first half. I’ll come back to that in a moment. There were a few more in the second half. Sutton created three good chances and they were all inside 4 minutes at the start of the second half. From a Will Randall corner, Ben Goodliffe headed goalwards from 8 yards and Kieran Wallace cleared it off the line. Then from a Rob Milsom free kick from the right, Goodliffe got above Lucas Akins at the far post to head over the bar from 4 yards. Then from a Joe Kizzi cross from the right, Omar Bugiel cushioned a superb little lay-off into the path of former Stag Alistair Smith who had Christy Pym to beat from 6 yards, Smith poked it goalwards but Pym was out quickly to save with his legs from close range. Very good keeping from Pym. The Stags best chances came later on. After 52 minutes, from a Wallace free kick from the right, Alfie Kilgour escaped from his marker 9 yards out, but could only head straight at the keeper. After 70 minutes, Davis Keillor-Dunn’s free kick from the left was headed up in the air, and Wallace volleyed it goalwards from 18 yards. It was a nice strike by Wallace by was blocked by his own man Kilgour. If it hadn’t hit Kilgour, it would either have gone in or needed a save from the keeper. After 75 minutes, Milsom made a mess of clearing the ball on his byline, Akins pulled the ball back to Keillor-Dunn and Keillor-Dunn curled a left footed shot just over the angle of bar and post from 16 yards out on the right. After 86 minutes, Rhys Oates made a great run from inside his own half and squared for Keillor-Dunn but Keillor-Dunn couldn’t control the ball properly just inside the box and the chance was gone. Moments later, Wallace curled in a cross from the left and Oates glanced a header wide. Three minutes into stoppage time, Oates pulled the ball inside to Boateng, and Boateng shot wide from just outside the area. As Boateng shot, he was clearly fouled by Alistair Smith and it should have been a free kick 19 yards out from a central position, but the most inept of referees Simon Mather, who had a quite shocking game, merely gave a corner. A dreadful game. Slightly better in the second half. The entertainment levels were low, very low. Sutton’s tactics in the first half were clear, to break the game up as much as possible, with constant fouling. Real anti-football stuff. The referee should have got a grip of this and didn’t. Omar Bugiel for example committed foul after foul. When he was finally booked after 40 minutes, the referee pointed to four previous positions in which he had committed fouls. Bugiel’s very late challenge on Hewitt after 24 minutes for example had clearly been worthy of a yellow card. Harry Beautyman chopped down Keillor-Dunn after 28 minutes, as clear a booking offence as you’ll see, no yellow card from the referee. Stags young striker James Gale, making his first league start was clearly fouled at least three times in the first half, none of which were given by the referee. That started in the first 60 seconds. Then after 16 minutes, Harbottle and Coby Rowe challenged for a header. Harbottle was there first to head away and was left in a heap on the floor as Rowe was late and headed Harbottle’s head. Harbottle had to go off. Harbottle was left concussed. We don’t know the extent of the injury yet. Nigel Clough said after the game “He challenged and was caught late. He’s up and around but he’s gone to hospital to be checked out. We will know more later but you take no chances with head injuries and he will be looked after accordingly.” The Stags needed players to get the ball down and craft in midfield. Someone to put the foot on the ball and control the midfield. Maris or Reed, or Quinn might have been able to do this, but they are out, along with other key players. The Stags needed quality from set pieces. But the set pieces were mostly poor. Keillor-Dunn wasted 3 corners in the first 20 minutes for example. One thing that could not be questioned was that the players worked really hard. I discussed in my report of the Grimsby game played on Wednesday night that the injury situation is biting hard, such that some players are either playing with knocks or having to play more than ideally they would. And the quick turnaround from Wednesday night to Saturday afternoon made things even harder. The Stags are certainly struggling to cope with the absence especially of Swan, Maris, McLaughlin, Reed and Quinn. In their absence, the players are working very hard and whatever else you can say about the performances of the players playing, there is no doubt about their commitment to the cause, playing on when there are so many other players injured. Clarke for example was described by Clough after the Sutton game as “running on empty” but kept going admirably. James Gale covered a huge amount of ground on his first start and gave everything on an impressive full debut. The Stags have generally been entertaining this season. Despite the lack of goals in the last four games, the Stags still have: - third most goals scored (55, only Carlisle and Salford have scored more) - third most goals in games played (100 goals, only Salford and Hartlepool have had more goals in their games played) - 5th highest shots on target - and just for those who like xG (expected goals): highest xG in the league. Contrast this with anti-football Sutton United: no-one has scored fewer goals than Sutton in the top half of the table. No team has had fewer goals in their games played in the top half of the table. The Stags have a week between games now, much needed so that the likes of Clarke can get a bit of a rest. Crawley are the visitors next Saturday. A win will be important. The Stags have fallen 3 points behind the play-off positions though did at least keep 2 points ahead of Sutton. Quinn will return from suspension. His 3 game suspension has been very costly at a time with so many injuries. Of the injured players, only Reed might have a chance of returning. Clough said: “Louis Reed might have a chance of next weekend, we will have to see how it goes.” And we’ll have to see how Harbottle is. DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made three changes from the side that played against Grimsby on Wednesday night. Oates was not fit enough to start having got a knock against Grimsby in his first start for a couple of months. Perch couldn’t start three games in a week, especially with the quick turnaround from Wednesday to Saturday. And Boateng moved to the bench too after he had “had a tough emotional week” according to Clough after his partner gave birth early on Tuesday morning. In came Danny Johnson, James Gale, for his first league start, and Kieran Wallace. Akins was at right wing-back, Bowery at left wing-back. Harbottle was on the right of the central defensive three, with Hewitt on the left (to counteract the pace David Ajiboye) and Kilgour in the middle. Gale and Danny Johnson up front. Louis Reed was back on the bench and “might have a chance of next weekend, we will have to see how it goes.” Clarke was described by Clough after the Sutton game as “running on empty” but had to start anyway and kept going admirably. Mansfield were without Swan, Hartigan, O’Toole, Maris, McLaughlin, Callum Johnson (plus Reed not fit to start or even come on as sub) (7 out injured), plus Quinn suspended. Harbottle can be added to the injury list after his concussion here, and Hewitt ended the game with a broken nose. Sutton made two changes from their last game, a 1-0 defeat to Grimsby. Former Stag Lee Angol was ill. Fellow striker Matt Dennis, on loan from MK Dons, was injured. They were replaced up front by Omar Bugiel and Donovan Wilson. These are the two strikers that have started most games for Sutton this season anyway. Another former Stag Alistair Smith started in midfield. The teams were led out by Emma Penlington, Mansfield Town’s #HerGameToo representative. The game was the club’s designated #HerGameToo fixture, as the club continued to support equality in football. The first half was a dreadful spectacle. After 10 minutes Goodliffe fired well over the bar from 30 yards. After 16 minutes, Harbottle and Coby Rowe challenged for a header after Kizzi dinked a cross into the Stags box. Harbottle was there first to head away and was left in a heap on the floor as Rowe was late and headed Harbottle’s head. Harbottle had to go off. Harbottle was left concussed. We don’t know the extent of the injury yet. Nigel Clough said after the game “He challenged and was caught late. He’s up and around but he’s gone to hospital to be checked out. We will know more later but you take no chances with head injuries and he will be looked after accordingly.” The officials gave an offside call after the incident. It should have been a foul as well, but the offside came first. Perch replaced Harbottle. Perch went to the right of the central defensive three (where Harbottle had been playing) so that Hewitt could continue to look after Ajiboye. Sutton were repeatedly fouling. The referee should have got a grip of this and didn’t. Omar Bugiel committed foul after foul. Bugiel’s very late challenge on Hewitt after 24 minutes was clearly been worthy of a yellow card. Meanwhile Gale had been fouled twice, not given. After 25 minutes, a good break from the Stags but Bowery’s first touch was poor and the ball was cleared for a corner. Gale then did well to win after a corner after 27 minutes. Keillor-Dunn wasted three corners in the opening period. Harry Beautyman chopped down Keillor-Dunn after 28 minutes, as clear a booking offence as you’ll see, no yellow card from the referee. Bugiel was finally booked after 40 minutes, and the referee pointed to four previous positions in which he had committed fouls. If this was the standard for giving a yellow, a red would require a homicide. Yet another clear foul on Gale was not given after 42 minutes. Stags fans chanted “cheat cheat” at the referee. He wasn’t a cheat of course, just incompetent. Kilgour did well to hold off Wilson after 45+1 minutes. David Ajiboye went down on the stroke of half time. He received attention right in front of the technical area. He was treated for3 minutes. The referee restarted play and after 2 seconds blew the half time whistle. Common sense should have dictated that the referee had blown for half time 2 seconds of playing time earlier, ie while Ajiboye was getting treated. A very unsatisfactory first half. Sutton’s tactics in the first half were clear, to break the game up as much as possible, with constant fouling. Real anti-football stuff. The referee should have got a grip of this and didn’t. His first half performance was nothing short of embarrassing. The fact that he then started brandishing yellow cards like confetti in the second half showed that he wasn’t even consistent. Had he done that earlier, he could have had some control of the game and we might have had a better game of football. Half time 0-0 Ajiboye was substituted at the break. He was replaced by Enzio Boldewijn. With Ajiboye off, Hewitt and Perch switched places. Sutton created three good chances and they were all inside 4 minutes at the start of the second half. After 46 minutes, from a Will Randall corner, Ben Goodliffe headed goalwards from 8 yards and Kieran Wallace cleared it off the line. Then a minute later, from a Rob Milsom free kick from the right, Goodliffe got above Lucas Akins at the far post to head over the bar from 4 yards. Then on 49 minutes, from a Joe Kizzi cross from the right, Omar Bugiel cushioned a superb little lay-off into the path of Alistair Smith who had Christy Pym to beat from 6 yards, Smith poked it goalwards but Pym was out quickly to save with his legs from close range. Very good keeping from Pym. After 52 minutes, from a Wallace free kick from the right, Alfie Kilgour escaped from his marker 9 yards out, but could only head straight at the keeper. Moments later, Akins crossed low from the right, Danny Johnson couldn’t control it, and as the ball hit Goodliffe and squirmed away, Johnson tried to stretch for it and didn’t get there. There were half-hearted appeals for a penalty but there was no foul. At the other end after 58 minutes, Clarke headed away a free kick, and then headed away another cross. As if to prove he was incompetent to both clubs, a clear foul by Hewitt wasn’t given by the referee after 61 minutes. Mansfield made a double change after 65 minutes: Boateng replaced Gale. Oates replaced Danny Johnson. Gale was impressive. Danny Johnson less so. Clough said after the game: “I thought James Gale did very well for an hour today. He has not played many games with injury of late.” Kizzi fouled Oates after 70 minutes. A yellow card for Kizzi. The referee was late to the party. Keillor-Dunn’s free kick from the left was headed up in the air, and Wallace volleyed it goalwards from 18 yards. It was a nice strike by Wallace by was blocked by his own man Kilgour. If it hadn’t hit Kilgour, it would either have gone in or needed a save from the keeper. After 75 minutes, Milsom made a mess of clearing the ball on his byline, Akins pulled the ball back to Keillor-Dunn and Keillor-Dunn curled a left footed shot just over the angle of bar and post from 16 yards out on the right. Randall was booked for a deliberate foul. Then Beautyman was booked for a foul on Boateng after 79 minutes. The incompetent referee was handing out cards like confetti now. Beautyman should have been booked earlier on 28 minutes, as clear a booking offence as you’ll see. After 86 minutes, Oates made a great run from inside his own half and squared for Keillor-Dunn but Keillor-Dunn couldn’t control the ball properly just inside the box and the chance was gone. Moments later, Wallace curled in a cross from the left and Oates glanced a header wide. At the other end after 87 minutes, a good challenge by Wallace in his own area. Law replaced Keillor-Dunn after 90+3 minutes. Moments later, Oates pulled the ball inside to Boateng, and Boateng shot wide from just outside the area. As Boateng shot, he was clearly fouled by Alistair Smith and it should have been a free kick 19 yards out from a central position, but the referee merely gave a corner. Nil nil. Man of the match: James Gale Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Swan 9, Akins 8, Lapslie 7, Harbottle 5, Hawkins 5, Maris 5, Clarke 4, Oates 4, Bowery 3, Keillor-Dunn 3, Kilgour 3, Gale 1, Gordon 1, D.Johnson 1, Hewitt 1, McLaughlin 1, Quinn 1. 1 OG Assists (league and cup): Lapslie 8, Hewitt 6, Quinn 6, Maris 5, Akins 4, Gordon 4, Boateng 3, Keillor-Dunn 3, McLaughlin 3, Clarke 2, C.Johnson 2, Hartigan 2, Bowery 1, Flinders 1, Hawkins 1, Law 1, Oates 1, Perch 1, Wallace 1 (notes on assists: in the case of a penalty, the player who earns the penalty gets an assist, such as Lapslie against AFC Wimbledon. In the case of a solo goal, such as Maris against Newport at home last season, nobody gets an assist. In the case of the scorer scoring from the rebound after a shot is saved or blocked, the player who had the shot saved gets an assist, such as Lapslie against Stockport. In the case of an own goal, the player who caused the own goal gets an assist, for example McLaughlin against Newport away last season where his shot was deflected in for an own goal. In the case of a cross that is headed away before the goal is scored, such as Clarke’s goal at Doncaster, nobody gets an assist.) Yellow cards (league only, alphabetical order): Boateng 1, Bowery 2, Clarke 8, Gale 1, Harbottle 6, Hartigan 1, Hawkins 4, Keillor-Dunn 1, D.Johnson 1, Lapslie 3, Law 2, Maris 5, McLaughlin 2, O’Toole 5, Oates 1, Perch 5, Pym 2, Quinn 7, Reed 1, Swan 2, Wallace 5. Red cards (league and cup): Boateng 1, Bowery 1, Maris 1, Perch, Quinn 1. (note: red cards count across competitions apart from Papa John’s Trophy; yellow cards are competition specific) (note: 5 yellow cards before the end of the 19th league game will result in a one match ban; 10 yellow cards before the end of the 37th league game will result in a two match ban; 15 yellow cards before the end of the 46th league game will result in a three match ban) Average home league attendance: 6677 (average away fans: 572, average home fans 6106) (see Tranmere report for explanation of how attendance is calculated: it is essentially tickets sold, including season tickets) |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(3-5-2)
Pym 7 Very good save from Alistair Smith with his legs from close range. No other saves to make. Harbottle - Left with concussion after he was caught late by Rowe, and had to go off. Kilgour 7 Very solid performance in central defence. Hewitt 7 Good game in central defence. Kept Ajiboye quiet. Clough pointed out after the game: “We had Elliott Hewitt playing with a broken nose, that he suffered in the second half.” Bravely carried on. Akins 7 Solid enough defensively at right wing-back, up against Will Randall. A couple of decent crosses. Clarke 7.5 Superb commitment to the battle despite not being 100% and managed to finish the game despite a tight hamstring. Wallace 7 Cleared a header off the line. At the other end, his goalbound volley hit his own man. Good game defensively. Keillor-Dunn 5 Set pieces were poor. Bowery 6 First touch was poor when he had a good chance in the area. Did ok defensively at left wing-back. Gale 7.5 Covered a huge amount of ground on his first start and gave everything on an impressive full debut. Clough said after the game: “I thought he did very well. He showed a lot of good touches and he was nuisance.” D.Johnson 5 Not so impressive. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Perch (for Harbottle, 20 mins) 7 Solid. Couldn’t start three games in a week, especially with the quick turnaround from Wednesday to Saturday, so did well to complete 70 minutes.
Boateng (for Gale, 65 mins) - Oates (for D.Johnson, 65 mins) - Caused a few problems with his pace. Law (for Keillor-Dunn, 90+3 mins) - Subs not used: Flinders, Taylor Anderson, Reed. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2): J Rose; J Kizzi, C Rowe, B Goodliffe, R Milsom; D Ajiboye (sub E Boldewijn 46), A Smith, H Beautyman, W Randall; O Bugiel (sub K Kouassi 59), D Wilson (sub C Dundas 83). Subs not used: B House, S Hart, L Gambin, H Kasimu.
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Referee:
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Simon Mather 4 Shocking game. Should have got a grip of Sutton’s constant fouling in the first half and didn’t. Multiple other errors.
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